How do you balance a career in regulatory affairs with family life? In this episode, Charles discusses this topic with Mary Christian, the Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Safety at C4 Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on targeted protein degradation. They talk about the importance of effective communication, career development, and work-life balance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Mary also offers advice for young mothers and career professionals on making choices that align with their personal and professional goals, highlighting the evolving nature of career and family life.

Here's what you're in:

00:02 Introduction and Career Background

07:52 Building Capabilities for Career Reentry

16:42 C4 Therapeutics and Protein Degradation

24:00 Communication in Clinical Trials

28:35 Overcoming Challenges in Decision-Making

35:47 Shifting Perspectives in Career Growth

42:01 Balancing Career and Family Life

About Mary Christian

Mary Christian, PharmD, MBA, is the Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Safety at C4 Therapeutics, Inc. A passionate and decisive biopharma executive, leader, and advisor, Mary delivers visionary solutions across all phases of drug development. She has demonstrated success in creating, building, and integrating novel capabilities in an international biopharma environment, as well as deconstructing organizations to create fit-for-purpose solutions and value opportunities.

Apart from her work, Mary is devoted to mentoring through initiatives like Project Onramp. She has also steered many company changes. On top of her career, she's a proud mom to three accomplished adults and a loving grandmother to four girls.

Connect with Mary:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-christianpharmd

Website: https://c4therapeutics.com/

About Charles

Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry. He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent years doing diabetes research. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, Charles decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with Charles:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Leadership and Diversity in Drug Development with Anita Scheuber.

In this episode, Charles talks with Anita Scheuber,the SVP of clinical development at Nimbus Therapeutics—a biotech firm using computational technology to develop medicines. She shares their pioneering work in AI-targeted drug discovery and her experience co-founding the biotech startup Hestia.

Anita highlights how different backgrounds help solve problems, the value of mentorship, and how to beat feelings of being an imposter. She also shares tips for strong leadership and gives guidance to budding biotech entrepreneurs.

Here's what you're in:

01:01 Anita's Journey to the U.S.

02:35 Switching from Neuroscience to Oncology

07:56 Joining Nimbus Therapeutics

10:07 Why Workplace Diversity Matters

14:56 Founding Hestia-A Startup biotech

24:40 Leadership and Personal Growth

30:14 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

32:16 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

About Anita Scheuber

Anita Scheuber brings over 15 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to Nimbus, specializing in oncology clinical development. Her expertise spans small molecule and immuno-oncology drug development across various stages and tumor types. She has held leadership positions at Trillium Therapeutics, Boston Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, and GSK. She holds an M.D. from the University of Zurich and a Ph.D. in Neurosciences from Sorbonne University, with additional training at Harvard Medical School and Swiss hospitals.

Connect with Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-scheuber-8a1a8220/

Website: https://www.nimbustx.com/

About Charles

Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry. He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent years doing diabetes research. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, Charles decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with Charles:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

In this episode, Charles talks with Jackie Donovan, the VP and Chief Marketing Officer at Syndax Pharmaceuticals, an oncology-focused company. She shares her knowledge about her experiences in consulting, internal pharma roles, and her strategic approach to organizational planning. This conversation also touches on the importance of communication, the challenges of workforce planning, and how to build an efficient and happy organization.

Lastly, Jackie shares her passion-driven initiative, Kathy's Fund, which aims to support nurse leaders and honor her mother's legacy.

Here's what you're in:

00:31 Jackie's Career as Scottish Parliament to Pharma

06:17 Workforce Planning in Pharma

08:04 Case Study about Syndax Pharmaceuticals

10:48 Workforce Planning Challenges and Benefits

19:29 Organizational Success Reflections

19:37 Future Building

20:03 Workforce Capabilities

22:08 Junior Manager Advice

23:23 Management Communication

24:29 Workforce Transformation Lessons

25:59 Efficiency and Digitalization

28:47 Employee Efficiency Improvement

31:54 HR Partners' Value

38:18 Kathy's Fund and Personal Motivation

About Jackie Donovan

Jackie Donovan is a seasoned Human Resources leader with a strong background in developing and managing people operations in the pharmaceutical industry. Currently, she serves as the VP, CMO Chief of Staff, Development Business Operations at Syndax Pharmaceuticals, where she plays a critical role in driving strategic initiatives. Prior to this, she was the SVP, Head of People at LifeMine Therapeutics, where she led efforts in employee benefits and compensation. Her expertise in aligning stakeholder perspectives and building strong relationships with C-level executives has been key to her success in these roles.

Connect with Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-codair-donovan-a6964312/

Website: https://syndax.com/

About Charles

Charles Spence leads Discera, a leading recruitment firm specializing in the biopharma industry. He graduated with a biomedical degree, has worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent years doing diabetes research. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, Charles decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with Charles:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/